Avengers: Cold as Ice
by thebookishpineapple
Summary: The God of Mischief is back, and this time, he isn't alone. The Avengers must face their new unwanted visitor, but their encounters will not be without their fair share of losses. Major character death, slight romance, infinity stones.
1. Prologue

_This is my first fanfiction, so constructive criticism is very much appreciated!_

Prologue

About ten years ago, before the destruction of Jotunheim, Thor and his five closest friends (one of which being his brother) journeyed to the realm of the frost giants against strict orders from Odin. Thor's fury against the Jotuns had blinded him from the dangers and caused him to lead his friends into a battle they could not win. The six warriors fought bravely, striking down several giants with ease, but they had not taken into account the small figure who seemed to simply melt out of the ice. At first, the mysterious hooded person simply watched the battle, and the Asgardians paid them little attention. It was only when the fur cloak shifted to reveal a shining, silver-shafted spear did they worry. The figure, though smaller in size, very nearly outranked Thor and his friends in skill. It fought with an agility and grace unknown to any of the warriors, not to mention its weapon. The spearhead was crafted of some nameless crystal that glowed with a faint blue light. Though the figure was clearly fighting the Asgardians, many of the frost giants lashed out at it. One of the great blue monsters caught it by the arm, and a thin layer of ice quickly spread over the animal hide protecting it. The unknown warrior struggled in vain, the ice growing thicker. In their frantic attempts to escape, the fur lined hood of their cloak fell, revealing long snow white hair and the face of a young woman, no older than fourteen.

The girl's frightened gaze darted from one Asgardian to the next. Her motions began to slow, her efforts becoming half-hearted, and her spear clattering against the frost covered ground as the cold began to reach her. Out of the corner of his eye, Thor caught sight of this. He swung his arm back and with a mighty throw, hurled the hammer into the chest of the unsuspecting frost giant. The girl tumbled backwards, falling hard against the ice at the sudden absence of the Jotun. She cringed and put an arm over her face at the formidable sight of Thor looking down at her. Moments later, however, she heard a quiet thud and felt a hand resting on her forearm. She let her hand be gently pulled away and looked up at Thor in subdued bewilderment.

"Are you hurt?" his regal voice was surprisingly clear, despite the sounds of battle raging behind him. The girl shook her head, though her expression was guarded. Thor pulled her to her feet, picking up Mjölnir as he did so. Loki, having defeated his immediate adversaries, made his way toward them. He picked up the silver spear and smirked. The girl scowled and attempted to lunge at the smug god. Her furious attempt, however, was halted by Thor's grip on her arm. She continued to glare at them, and it was quite evident that she was struggling with all her might to get away.

Just as Loki opened his mouth to speak, a burst of multicolored light connected with the frozen ground behind them. The bifrost. When the light cleared, Odin, King of Asgard sat proudly on the back of his eight-legged horse. In her captors' brief moment of surprise, the girl twisted her arm free and attempted to run. After traveling barely a meter, the ominous sensation of a blade pressed against her neck stopped her in her tracks.

"Ah, ah, ah. Not so fast," the unmistakeable whisper sent a chill down her spine. "You didn't really think you could get away that easy, did you?" Loki laughed, letting his dagger shift just enough to draw blood. The girl winced, biting her lip to keep from saying anything in response. "And anyway, you've got somewhere to be," he remarked, leading her towards the open bifrost. They stayed out of sight of the other Asgardians, though the girl did not quite understand how, as there was now utter chaos erupting across the battlefield. She closed her eyes tightly as they stepped into the blinding light.

In moments, Asgard lay before them, shining with all its glory. The girl blinked in the golden light reflected off the buildings. The prisoner, for she had by now realized that must be what she was, had little time for sightseeing as she was dragged swiftly into the palace. Once inside, Loki led her down endless corridors, twisting and turning until she very nearly forgot which way was up. Eventually, they stopped just outside the dungeon, out of earshot of the guards standing by the doors.

"You want to know who I am," the girl said, speaking for the first time. Her voice was cold and smooth, something in it hinting at dangerous secrets. She also had a peculiar accent, one that is easily recognized, but one couldn't say where it's from.

"Among other things," Loki agreed with a smirk. He pressed the flat edge of the knife against her shoulder.

"And please, tell me how you expect to convince me to explain anything. If you haven't already noticed, I don't quite fear for my life," she kept her voice low, watching either end of the hallway.

"Well, I'm not blind. Let me make you a deal," the Asgardian began. "You can stay here and rot in a cell for the rest of your natural life. Or-" He stopped abruptly, seeing something change in the girl's steel blue eyes.

"The rest of my natural life?" Inexplicably, she laughed, a laugh with madness tearing at its edges and ice frozen in its core. The god of mischief, it seems, had found and ally.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Loki sits on the throne of Asgard, disguised as his adoptive father and watching the figure of Thor recede down the hallway. A flicker of white between two of the massive pillars supporting the ceiling catches his eye.

"I see you, Vera," the god's illusion disappears as the girl strides across the golden floor. Her white hair shimmers against grey and gold robes. Strangely, she has not grown taller nor, so it seems, older since the destruction of Jotunheim.

"Am I that awful at hiding?" Vera smiles. She runs her hand along the silver chain of a necklace. Attached to her necklace hangs a glowing blue crystal which is worn and smoothed by time. Her silver spear is slung across her back, polished and shining. The only visible imperfections her scars. One forearm bears terrible markings, reminiscent of the burns, but any knowledgeable examiner knows that these are the effects of a frost giant's touch. A thin white line runs along her neck and another very much like it traces down the right side of her face.

Loki laughs, "You're only a human, after all."

"I haven't been to Midgard for two thousand years. I'm not human anymore," she retorts scornfully.

"Speaking of that miserable rock, I have a mission for you," the Asgardian tilts his head smugly. Vera nods in acknowledgement, silently urging him to continue. "You see, the humans have found themselves a group of _heroes_. Mere pests, really, but in order to successfully conquer Midgard, I need them, ah, out of the way. They call themselves the Avengers, and if I can keep my idiotic brother here, there's only five."

"Easy. I'll be back soon," Vera declares eagerly, spear already in hand.

"One more thing," Loki calls, before she walks away. "Don't kill them." At this, Vera gives a small sigh of dismay.

"You're no fun," she complains, but she bows her head in consent and strides off.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

A flash of light in a field in New York. A mysterious marking etched into the ground. Locals blame aliens. Some claim to have seen a figure in a dark red cloak drifting off into the shadows. A white haired girl sitting on a bench in the freezing cold with a blue backpack. Vera had taken some measures to remain unnoticed by her targets. She'd seen an article about Tony Stark in something the humans call a 'newspaper' earlier that day. It seems that this man had started a campaign to stop youth from living on the streets. So she waits, not a block away from Stark Towers, until she finally sees a man walking down the street followed by several news teams. He talks nonstop to the army of reporters, but Vera hardly hears what he's saying.

"For example, what's your name kiddo?" the man walks up to her, a swarm of microphones and cameras close behind.

"Um my name is V-Vera," she manages to stutter, bewildered by the sudden chaos.

"Well, Vera, you'll be one of the first twelve teens who will be living at Stark Towers. That is, until we find you a foster family," Tony Stark declares proudly. Vera stands tentatively, grabbing her backpack off the bench. Tony leads the way in the direction of the tower, prattling on and on about several things Vera had never heard of. She struggles to keep the smirk off of her face and shoves her hands into her pockets.

Eventually, the cloud of reporters disperses and Tony shows Vera to her room. Vera tries her best to maintain a friendly attitude towards the man, as she knows she may not get an opportunity like this one again. She sets her backpack down next to a set of clothes that had been placed neatly on the bed. With a sigh, she changes out of the old hoodie and worn out pair of sweatpants she had acquired as a disguise and into a sweater and pair of jeans.

She pulls out a small silver bracelet which she had concealed under the dark red cloak at the bottom of her backpack. In truth, the bracelet is her silver spear, concealed by a bit of clever magic. She once again runs her slim fingers along the silver chain of her necklace, making sure it's still there. Carefully hiding both pieces of jewelry under the white fabric of her sweater, she steps out into the hallway.

"Hello, Miss Vera," A voice behind her makes her nearly jump out of her skin. "My apologies. My name is Jarvis, Mr. Stark's digital butler."

"Woah," Vera whispers, looking around in awe. After a slightly one-sided conversation with Jarvis, Vera walks briskly down the hall. Having studied blueprints of the tower before traveling to Earth, she knows fairly well where she's going. She steps into a spacious room empty except for a large holographic monitor in the center and a metal three-legged stool. Cautiously, she crosses the room to the computer, checks to make sure that she's alone, and begins to go through the database.

In theory, this had been a great idea. Search through the computer at Stark Towers and learn more about the weaknesses and strategies of the avengers. There was just one little thing, Vera has no experience whatsoever with technology, or electricity, for that matter. She had only lived on Midgard for seven years and that was eons ago. In the very least, however, she can read and write modern English. She takes a seat on the stool in front of the monitor. Carefully, she types in 'Captain America' and the monitor brings up several images and videos. Vera smirks and sets about studying.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Hours later, Vera hears footsteps in the hallway behind her and sits up abruptly. On the screen before her, images of Hawkeye intermingle with everything from birthdays to fighting techniques.

"Curious, aren't we?" the suspicious voice of Tony Stark asks from the doorway. Vera spins around to face him, getting up slowly.

"You could say that," she nods slightly, watching him. Vera carefully slides the bracelet off of her wrist. The silver and crystal seem to melt and reform as her spear. She seems in no hurry to attack, she simply uses her weapon like a staff, leaning against it.

"Who are you, really?" Tony asks, pressing his hand against a keypad in the wall.

"A teenage girl, who's been living on the streets of Manhattan for exactly 9.62 hours. You really should be more careful," Vera replies, smiling venomously. She is painfully aware of the fact that any moment now, Stark's armor will show up and she will enter a fight where she will most definitely lose.

"Fair enough. Who are you working for?" he glances over his shoulder impatiently.

"You're stalling," Vera notes, but something stops her from attacking. No, she can't be afraid. It's impossible for her to be afraid. She has nothing to be afraid of, after all, there's nothing in all the nine realms that can kill her. But plenty of things that can hurt her… She grips her spear tighter, watching her opponent with a guarded expression.

"Here, is this better?" Tony offers as his armor comes flying down the hall. Within seconds he's suited up. Vera stands frozen in astonishment. A moment later, her expression hardens and she points her spear at Iron Man. A bolt of bright white light shoots out of the crystal. To her dismay, the blast only pushes him back a few steps. The metal hero shakes his head slightly. "You'll have to do better than that to get me to call the team," he taunts, extending his hands towards Vera, palms out. With a furious yell, she runs forward prepared to strike, spearhead glowing vividly. The mighty blow never makes contact, two repulsor blasts meet her halfway, sending her flying across the room. Vera slams into the wall, hitting her head. She crumples to the floor.

"Ow," she manages to mumble before the world goes dark.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The world is a blurry haze of white and grey. Slowly, Vera's vision clears, and she finds herself seated inside a half cylinder of glass with a polished white wall behind her. Thick steel cuffs circle around her wrists, preventing any chance of escape. Vera glares at the glass before her, studying her own disheveled reflection. Her head hurts, her back hurts, her everything hurts. She readjusts her focus, with slight difficulty, onto the room on the other side of the glass. A computer, a few tables cluttered with things she had never seen, and in the far corner a man she recognized from her research as Dr. Bruce Banner.

"Hm, interesting," Vera mutters, her icy voice echoing eerily. Banner looks up from his work, which she notices consists of her silver bracelet and some curious machines. The scientist watches her in silence. Vera snaps her fingers behind her back and the bracelet extends into a spear, nearly impaling Banner. He shouts incoherently, jumping back and giving Vera an alarmed look. She snickers, snapping her fingers once more to turn it into a bracelet. The sound of hurried footsteps in the hall draws their attention and Black Widow bursts through the door. Moments later, Captain America and Hawkeye follow.

"What's going on?" Captain America is easily recognized, rushing over to the scientist. Vera smiles at Widow and Hawkeye, who both have their weapons trained on her.

"She did something, I didn't see what, and the spear just, uh, appeared," Banner explains nervously.

"Check the security tapes," Black Widow instructs.

"Already did," Tony Stark stands in the doorway, smirking. He walks over to the glass prison, swiping a hand along the wall. An almost invisible door slides open with a faint hiss. Vera looks up at him as he enters, still smiling.

"What did I do?" She asks in mock innocence. The other four stand guard outside the door, looking rather nervous. "Oh, don't be afraid" she says, looking over at them. "I didn't come to kill you."

"What _did_ you come for?" Stark asks, looking down at her. Vera notes his lack of armor, but no doubt that it could be changed within seconds.

She looks over at the others for a moment before answering, "I was sent by, shall we say, someone who greatly dislikes the five of you to make sure your little freak show stays out of our way."

"Sent by who? From where?" Captain America asks from behind Stark, stepping forward.

"No one. Nowhere." Vera replies coldly. Her voice trembles ever so slightly and the gravity of the situation seems to dawn on her. She thinks of the scars on her neck and face and winces.

"Listen, we're not going to hurt you if you'll just tell us where you came from and who sent you here," Tony reassures her. Vera shies away from the five heroes, though she can't go very far without falling off of her chair. She shakes her head, choking back a retort.

"You're going to tell us, one way or another," Black Widow warns. Captain America scolds her under his breath, something about Vera being just a kid. Vera smiles bitterly, hoping they'll start arguing amongst themselves.

When her wishes go unfulfilled, however, she replies, "Doubtful." She struggles not to sound nervous, but her voice quivers all the same. Her pale hands clench into fists, and she scowls. A few of the heroes laugh nervously, but most continue to watch Vera in stony silence.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

A flash of light from the center of the room interrupts further conversation. Hope sparks in the prisoner's eyes when she recognizes the bifrost, it had saved her before, maybe it will save her again. When the rainbow light clears, it is not Loki, as she had hoped, but Thor standing in the center of the room. Vera's eyes widen in momentary terror, but she quickly regains her composure, somewhat. The Asgardian crosses the room, pushing past the other heroes and entering the cell. Without hesitation, the god throws Mjölnir at the girl in the chair.

Vera is knocked off her chair and sent crashing across the room. The glass that had previously imprisoned her shatters and she lands, breathless, among a pile of destroyed lab equipment. The hammer falls to her left, destroying several more expensive looking devices. A chorus of furious shouts arises from the others. Thor seems not to hear them as he storms across the room.

"How did you escape?" The god roars furiously, looking down at the girl.

"I was never imprisoned," Vera replies with a smirk. She reaches out and pulls her silver bracelet from the wreckage.

A black boot slams down on her wrist with a sickening crack. Vera yelps and drops her weapon. By this time, the rest of the Avengers have crossed the room and are yelling at Thor, trying to hold him back.

"Don't lie to me!" the god roars, tearing away from the others. In one fluid motion, he grabs his hammer, swings it into the air, and brings it down at full force on Vera's neck, striking against the blue gem on her necklace. The room fills with an eerie noise, similar to the sound of metal clanging against metal but more… otherworldly. The Avengers fall to the ground, hands clutching the sides of their heads. Vera slowly pulls herself from the wreckage, Mjölnir tumbling to the side like a harmless toy.

She walks towards the fallen heroes, lurching from side to side like a marionette with a broken string. A lopsided smile swings across her face as she looks down at Tony Stark. Her eyes appear almost as if they have filled with fog and an eerie blue glow surrounds her, there's something not quite... human about her.

The noise ceases abruptly, giving way to something only slightly more terrifying. Amidst all the chaos of Thor's arrival, the Hulk had emerged and was now giving an earthshaking roar. The new sound is just as deafening as the first, but different somehow. The metallic sound had seemed to radiate not only in the room, but within the minds of the others.

Vera blinks rapidly, a look of utter bewilderment crossing her face as her eyes return to normal. She shakes her head slightly, as if the fog that had filled her eyes had also clouded her mind. A wochild, rriesome scene unfolds before her, the hulk knocking the heroes aside one by one. Tony Stark's armor had flown down the corridor, but it didn't seem to be doing much for him, he was getting thrown around just as much as the others.

She knew she should try to find a way out of the building, to get to the rendevous point. But Vera stays right where she stands, watching the events with an unreadable expression. The Avengers seem to have forgotten about her for the moment, their full force directed at the raging green monster. This would be the perfect moment to dart out the door, and she slowly begins to move in the direction of escape. Not turning her back on the battle until she is far down the corridor, Vera struggles to gain her bearings in the giant buidling. Vague memories of her old life flutter through her mind; her mortal family, now long dead, struggling for survival in the already harsh world; the longest winter she'd ever known, which had marked the arival of unwelcome visitors from Jotunheim, and had constituted the death of two of her brothers.

 _Snap out of it,_ Vera scolds herself, shaking off the memories. _This is who I am now._ She leaps down the stairs two at a time, swallowing panic. Each echo of her own footsteps sets her nerves on end. Minutes later, she steps out or the cold stairwell with a sigh of relief. Vera throws a quick glance over the lobby around her and runs for the glass door. She pushes her way out onto the bustling street.

As Vera disappears into the crowds, the effects of the battle begin to catch up to her. She limps off the main street, glaring at any frightened tourists who dared to look her way. Once she's dragged herself to the end of an alley, she slumps down against the wall, exhausted. A small amount of blood trickles out of her mouth.

"You're late," a velveteen voice scolds from the shadows. Vera smiles a bloodstained smile.

"Apologies, my lord. The humans proved more problematic than expected," she replies quietly. A pale hand reaches down to help her up.

Loki snickers, "We have a different matter to worry about at the moment. I can deal with your incompetence later." He kisses her forehead gently. "Now, we can't go out in public looking like this." In a flash of golden light, the two of them disappear, to be replaced by two utterly unremarkable individuals.

Vera scowls, following him out of the alley. "Why do humans dress like this?" she complains

Loki laughs, "Your guess is as good as mine. You look nice, though." Vera rolls her eyes, knowing the god intends to infuriate her. _He might as well be a child_ , she thinks resentfully. "I'll take you shopping later, if you want. It seems that's what women on Midgard do for fun." Vera shoots him a glare, her annoyance almost voicing itself. _I will not be compared to the pathetic mortals that inhabit this planet! I am as much of a god as you are,_ she wills herself to remain silent.


End file.
